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UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the site of the Nova Music Festival massacre
(Photos: Jack Guez/ AFP/ AP/ Craig Ruttle, Andrew Harnik / Getty Images North America)
Earlier this year, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, reported on these crimes. Hamas’ inclusion on the blacklist now constitutes an official international recognition of its guilt in crimes that rank alongside war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israeli officials say the sexual abuse has not stopped, and that Hamas terrorists are still assaulting hostages in Gaza. Jerusalem continues to call on the international community to secure the immediate release of all hostages and to dismantle Hamas. At the same time, Israel’s Foreign Ministry is working to counter false allegations of sexual crimes being spread against Israel.
In February last year, Patten said she could not sleep for a week after being shown the IDF’s 47-minute compilation of atrocities. “Only after I saw the footage did I understand things I hadn’t before, in terms of the magnitude of the disaster,” she said.
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Pramila Patten, UN envoy for sexual violence, visits Kibbutz Nahal Oz
(Photo: Foreign Ministry)
Col. (res.) Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas, director of Project Dinah, added: “We call on the UN, the International Criminal Court, and governments and law enforcement agencies worldwide to move from recognition to action — and bring Hamas terrorists to justice in every possible forum.”
